One hundred years ago, the U.S. farm was drastically different than it is today. In 1900, the average farm was just 147 acres in size. Nowadays, it’s grown to be more than three times that size — 441 acres, to be exact, according to the Ag Council of America. So needless to say, the way a farmer goes about planting and gathering his crops from the fields is quite different in this age of industrialized agriculture than it was when the pioneers originally settled the Great Plains and turned it into the breadbasket of America.
But despite living in this age of factory farming, it’s still the small farmer that feeds the majority of our stomachs. This new video from Food Tank (a think tank) entitled Family Farmers + You = A Well Nourished World, reveals that family farmers are responsible for producing more than half (57 percent, to be exact) of the world’s food.
Not only do these growers put fresh, sustainable food on our plates, but small farmers also help boost local economies and give men and women financial security. Plus, they play a major part in protecting the planet as they are on the front lines of environmental disasters — such as floods, water scarcity, and extreme weather.
As a result, the United Nations designated 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming to highlight how small farmers play a major role in making the world a better place. As the planet becomes more urbanized and modernized, it’s clear that we can’t allow the family farm to become extinct.
Check out this video and learn how you can be a part of the solution.